Automatic knife sharpener and holder



u y 1959 J. E. O'RIORDAN 2,893,178

AUTOMATIC KNIFE SHARPENER AND HOLDER Filed April 18, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 W. R w i 5 F 4 Z 10 o n @4 5 m4 W w J0 Y B M a zw 2 5 M 4 F 4 4 Y 7, 1959 J. E. O'RlORDANa 2,893,178

AUTOMATIC KNIFE SHARPENER AND HOLDER Filed April 18, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 55 m 56 FF 7 7 W 42 I 6 q NIT/3 7 3 INVENTOR Jo/m E. OP-z'ordma A TTORNE Y.

United States Patent AUTOMATIC KNIFE SHARPENER AND HOLDER John E. ORiordan, Mission, Kans.

Application April 18, 1958, Serial No. 729,323

Claims. (Cl. 51-214) My invention relates to means for storing and automatically sharpening bladed instruments, of the general shape of a knife, requiring a sharpened edge. More specifically my invention comprises a combined knife holder and sharpener.

In carrying out my invention I provide a holder to knives, comprising a storing case in which sharpening means is provided, the storing case providing for the orderly storage of the bladed instruments, such as knives, said storing means providing guiding means for positioning, directing and holding the blades of the knives or similar members to be sharpened so that the edges to be sharpened will be properly directed toward and into engagement with the sharpening means as the knife or similar bladed member is moved into position in the holder and removed therefrom.

While the general shape of the knife holding case and the material from which it is made may be varied as may be found desirable, it has been found desirable to make the case of a body portion and a removable back plate, said body portion being preferably made of a solid block of material, such as a block of Wood, which is slotted and provided with suitable openings intersecting the slot or slots in the body portion in which said sharpening means is mounted in a manner to properly cooperate with a blade of a .knife or similar instrument that is inserted in the holder and moved longitudinally of the slot;

The sharpening means comprises an abrasive member that is so mounted that it is urged into engagement with [the cutting edge of the blade, the mounting comprising a member on which the abrasive member is mounted, that is mounted on a pivot member in such a manner that the abrasive member is adapted to swing about an axis such that it will move transversely of the blade receiving slot, said sharpening members comprising paired members so mounted and being adapted to be oppositely arranged and to be urged in opposite directions across the blade receiving slot so as to engage opposite sides of the cutting edge of the blade, suitable resilient means being provided for urging the mounting member in the proper direction to cause such engagement of the abrasive member with the Made. In order to assure continuous engagement between the abrasive member and the knife blade the mounting member for the abrasive is mounted on the pivot means in such a manner that it is loosely pivotally mounted so as to have a rocking or memberthat has a convex blade engaging surface. Preferably the blade engaging surface is of a parabolic character, the abrasive being preferably in the form of a blockthathas a pair of flat side faces that extend perpendicularly to each other and a side face that has a substantially parabolic curvature.

2,893,178 Patented July 7, 1959 ICC More specifically it is a purpose of my invention to provide a knife holder and sharpener that has a body portion that has a longitudinally extending guide slot therein that is open at one end thereof and which has openings therein intersecting said slot, the axes of said openings being at an oblique angle to each other and to the slot, and to provide sharpening members in said openings that are so mounted that the same extend obliquely across Said slot and are adapted to swing about an axis extending substantially parallel to said slot and means for urging the abrasive member transversely of said slot, said abrasive members being arranged in pairs and being urged in opposite directions across said slot so as to yieldingly engage opposite sides of a blade.

It is a further purpose of my invention to provide in an apparatus of the above mentioned character, sharpening members each comprising a plate-like mounting member that is loosely pivotally mounted on a pivot pin and which has an abrasive member mounted on one side thereof and resilient means mounted on the other side thereof so as to be interposed between the body meme ber and said mounting plate, engaging the wall of the opening in which it is mounted so as to urge the abrasive member away from said wall toward the slot which is intersected by said opening.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will appear as the description of the drawings proceeds. I desire to have it understood, however, that I do not intend to limit myself to the particular details shown or described, except as defined in the claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a front elevation of my improved combination knife sharpener and holder.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary edge elevation thereof.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary rear elevation, on an enlarged scale, of the body portion of my improved sharpener and holder, with the back plate removed.

Fig. 4 is a view partly in section and partly in plan, the section being taken on the line 44 of Fig. 3 and the sharpening member being shown in plan.

Fig. 5 is a transverse detail sectional view taken on the line 55 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation, on an enlarged scale, the section being taken substantially on the line 6-6 of Fig. 7.

Fig. 7 is a section taken substantially on the line 77 of Fig. 6, the sharpening member being shown in plan.

Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic view taken on a plane substantially parallel to one of the slots in the body portion, portions of the body portion being omitted to more clearly show the position of the sharpening members.

Pig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 8, showing the position of the parts when the knife is moving in the opposite direction to that shown in Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of one of the abrasive blocks detached.

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the plate-like mounting member and the pivot pin.

Fig. 12 is a perspective view of the resilient block.

, Fig. 13 is a perspective view of a modified form of mounting plate, and V i Fig. 14 is a view similar to Fig. 13 of a further modification of mounting plate.

Referring in detail to the drawings, my improved automatic knife sharpener and holder comprises a body portion 20, which is preferably made of a solid block of material, such as wood, and which has a plurality of slots 21 therein extending parallel, toeach other longitudinally of said body portion from end'to end thereof, thus providing open ends 22 and 23 for each of said slots. The

. case of said combinationholder and sharpener comprises a back plate 24, which is secured to the body portion 20 in a suitable manner, as by means of the securing elements 25. The slots 21 extend through the face 26 of the body portion 20 that is adjacent the back plate 24, but ends short of the front face 27 of said body portion 20, the bottom edge of the slot being indicated by the numeral 28 in Fig. 2. It will be noted that the back plate 24 is somewhat wider than the body portion 20 and that it has an extension 29 extending beyond the open ends 22 of the slots to provide an attaching portion having openings 30 therein for insertion of securing elements for fastening the combination holder and sharpener on a wall or other suitable surface.

Paired openings 31 and 32 are provided in said body portion, which are arranged longitudinally of each of the slots in adjacency, but are oppositely offset with respect to each of said slots. Said openings have their axes extending at oblique angles to each other, as will be obvious from Figs. 3, 4 and 7, and also have their axes extending at oblique angles to the slot 21, with which the openings are associated, the axis of the opening 31 being inclined oppositely to the axis of the opening 32. For convenience, the openings 31 and 32 are made circular in cross section, although the exact cross sectional shape thereof is not of importance to the invention. It will be noted upon reference to Figs. 1, 3 and 6 that each of the slots 21 intersects both of the openings 31 and 32 associated therewith, there being a short slot portion 21 between the open end 32 and the opening 31, and another slot portion 21" between the openings 31 and 32. It will also be noted that the openings 31 and 32 have end walls 33 that are spaced from the front face 27 of the body portion 20 so as to close said end of said opening, the openings 31 and 32 and the slot 21 thus being closed at corresponding portions thereof.

Indentations 34 and 35 are provided in the body portion 20 adjacent the openings 31 and 32, providing recesses for the reception of pivot pins 36 and 37 that extend across the openings 31 and 32 adjacent their open ends, said pivot pins 36 and 37 extending substantially parallel to the slot 21 and being spaced laterally from said slot equal distances on opposite sides thereof. Mounted between the back plate 24 and the body portion 20 are metallic guard strips 38 overlying the open edges of the slots 21, said guard strips being provided to prevent excessive wear on the back plate 24 by means of rearwardly curved pointed ends of knives as the same are slid into and out of the holder.

Mounted on the pivot pin 36 is a sharpening member having the abrasive block 39 provided thereon, said block 39 being mounted on a sheet metal mounting member 40, which also has a block 41 of resilient material mounted thereon. Said mounting member has a sleeve or loop portion 42 provided at one end thereof adjacent one of the marginal longitudinal edges of said member 42 that loosely embraces the pivot pin 36. The relationship of the pivot pin 36 and of the loop 42 of the plate-like member 40 is illustrated in Fig. 11. The abrasive block 33 is shown in Fig. 10, and it will be noted that it has a flat rear face 43 and a convexly curved front face 44. The convexly curved front face 44 of said abrasive member 39 is preferably a parabolic surface, the abrasive block being a quadrant of a parabolic cylinder. It will be noted that the convexly curved face 44 of said abrasive member 39 extends across the slot 21 facing the entrance portion 21 of the slot that is nearest the entrance opening 22 into the same, and that when the sharpening member is in position the block 41 of resilient material lying between the body portion 20 and the plate 40 will engage the wall of the opening 31 in such a manner that the inclined surface 44 will cross the slot 21, the end of the abrasive member remote from the pivot pin 36 being on the opposite side of the slot 21 from the pivot pin. The resilient means 41 is perferably a sponge rubber member that has a beveled face 45 thereon, which permits the more ready distortion of the resilient block 41 as the same is compressed between the body portion 20 and the plate-like member 40 as the knife blade is pushed across the convex face 44 of the abrasive member 39, thus forcing the sharpening member about its pivot in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 4.

Mounted in the opening 32 is a similar sharpening member, which has the abrasive block 46, which is mounted on the plate-like mounting member 47 and which has the resilient block 48 also mounted on said plate-like member 47 on the opposite face thereof to the abrasive member 46. The abrasive member has a flat rear face 49, which engages the plate-like member 47, and said plate-like member has a sleeve or loop portion 50 which engages with the pivot pin 37 in the same manner as the loop or sleeve portion 42 engages with the pivot pin 36. Said abrasive member is also provided with a convex face 51, which is the same in curvature as the convex face 44 of the abrasive member 39.

It will be noted upon reference to Fig. 3 that the convex face 51 of the abrasive member 46 is faced toward the slot portion 21 connecting the openings 31 and 32. The resilient block 48 is also provided with a beveled face 52 similar to the resilient block 41 and for the same purpose. The resilient block 48 and the refractory block 46 are secured to each other in any suitable manner, being preferably secured to each other by means of adhesive 53 and 54.

It will be noted upon reference to Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 that the pivot sleeves 42 and 50 are offset lengthwise of the pivot pins 36 and 37 with respect to the resilient members 41 and 48. Accordingly, when a knife blade is slid endwise of the slot into engagement with the convexly curved surfaces 44 and 51 of the abrasive members these will not only be swung about their pivots from the position shown in Fig. 4 to that shown in Fig. 7, but will also be rocked on the pivot pins so as to move to an angular position, which is best shown in Fig. 8, thus assuring that the cutting edge of the knife blade will be always in engagement with the convex surface 44 and the convex surface 51 as the blade is moved from the open end 22 of the slot toward the other end 23 thereof, which would be the inserting motion of the knife. This will cause the rocking or tilting of the plate-like members 40 and 47 and the parts carried thereby into the position shown in Fig. 8. Upon Withdrawal of the knife the rocking action will be in the opposite direction, as illustrated in Fig. 9, the knife blade in Figs. 6, 7, 8 and 9 being indicated by the numeral 55, and the cutting edge thereof by the numeral 56. The knife blade is inserted into the holder with the cutting edge forward, that is, with the back edge 57 of the blade toward the back plate 24 of the case.

Instead of providing the plate-like members with resilient blocks 41, the resilient means may be in the form of a finger 58, which has a bowed portion 59 spaced a short distance from the extremity 60 thereof, that is adapted to engage the member 20, the plate-like member 40 being made of material having suflicient resiliency that the finger 58 will act as a spring. It is of course, to be understood that either the plate-like member 40 or the plate-like member 47 can be made in the manner shown in Fig. 13, if it should be desired to use a metal spring instead of a resilient block.

Instead of mounting plates such as that shown in Fig. 3, mounting plates such as that shown in Fig. 14 can be provided. The mounting plate 40 shown in Fig. 14 has a body portion of the same shape as the mounting plate 40, but instead of having a-resilient block mounted thereon is provided with a spring wire finger 58 having a loop 61 on one end thereof embracing the loop 42 on said body portion to secure the spring finger in position and having an inturned extremity 62 at its opposite end. It is to be understood, that a plate corresponding to the mounting plate 47 can be similarly provided with such a spring wire finger.

What I claim is:

1. In a knife holder and sharpener, a body portion having a guide slot therein open at one end thereof and having openings intersecting said slot, and sharpening members mounted in said openings, each of said sharpening members comprising an abrasive member, mounting means therefor comprising a member loosely pivotally mounted at one end thereof to swing across said slot and rock lengthwise thereof and means for urging said member transversely of said slot.

2. In a knife holder and sharpener, a body portion having a guide slot extending longitudinally thereof and having a pair of openings adjacent longitudinally of said slot extending transversely of said body portion obliquely to said slot and to each other and intersecting said slot, and a sharpening member in each of said openings comprising an abrasive member, mounting means therefor comprising a member mounted to swing across said slot and means for urging said mounting member transversely of said slot;

3. In a knife holder and sharpener, a body portion having a guide slot extending longitudinally thereof and having a pair of openings adjacent longitudinally of said slot extending transversely of said body portion and intersecting said slot, a sharpening member in each of said openings and a pivot member extending across each of said openings in spaced parallel relation to the length of said slot, one of said sharpening members being loosely mounted on each of said pivot members to pivot and rock thereon, each of said sharpening members comprising an abrasive member and resilient means interposed between said abrasive member and said body portion in said opening.

4. In a knife holder and sharpener, a body portion having a guide slot extending longitudinally thereof and having a pair of openings adjacent longitudinally of said slot extending transversely of said body portion and intersecting said slot, a sharpening member in each of said openings and a pivot member extending across each of said openings in spaced parallel relation to the length of said slot, the pivot member extending across one of said openings being on the opposite side of said slot from the other pivot member, one of said sharpening members being loosely mounted on each of said pivot members to pivot and rock thereon and extending from said pivot member obliquely across said slot, each of said sharpening members comprising a sheet metal member having a loop at one end thereof loosely embracing said pivot member, an abrasive member having a convex face mounted on one side of said sheet metal member and a resilient member mounted on the other side of said sheet metal member between said sheet metal member and said body portion.

5. In a knife holder and sharpener, a body portion having a guide slot therein open at one end thereof and having openings intersecting said slot, a metallic guard strip overlying said slot at one side thereof, and sharpening members mounted in said openings, each of said sharpening members comprising an abrasive member, mounting means therefor comprising a member mounted to swing across said slot and means for urging said mounting member transversely of said slot.

6. In a knife holder and sharpener, a body portion having a plurality of parallel longitudinally extending guide slots therein each open at one end thereof, said body portion having a pair of openings therein adjacent longitudinally :of each slot extending obliquely transversely of said body portion and intersecting each of said slots near one end thereof and a sharpening member in each of said openings comprising an abrasive member, mounting means therefor comprising a member mounted to swing across said slot and means for urging said mounting member transversely of said slot.

7. In a knife holder and sharpener, a body portion having a plurality of parallel longitudinally extending guide slots therein each open at one end thereof, said body portion having a pair of openings therein adjacent longitudinally of each slot extending obliquely transversely of said body portion and intersecting each of said slots near one end thereof, a pivot member mounted at one end of each of said openings and extending across the same in spaced relation to said slot, and a sharpening member loosely pivotally mounted on each of said pivot members, the sharpening members in the openings of each pair being oppositely directed and each comprising a sheet metal member having a loop at one end thereof loosely embracing said pivot member, an abrasive member and resilient means interposed between said abrasive member and said body portion in said opening.

8. In a knife holder and sharpener, a body portion having a guide slot therein open at both ends and along one side thereof and having transverse openings therein closed at one end thereof and intersecting said slot, means closing the other side of said slot and the other ends of said openings, and sharpening members each confined within one of said openings, each of said sharpening members comprising an abrasive member, mounting means therefor comprising a member mounted to swing transversely of said slot, and means on said mounting member engaging the wall of said opening to urge said mounting member transversely of said slot.

9. In a knife holder and sharpener, an elongated body portion having a guide slot therein extending longitudinally thereof, said slot being open at both ends and along one side thereof, said body portion having longitudinally spaced transverse openings therein closed at one end thereof and intersecting said slot, means closing the other side of said slot and the other ends of said openings, and sharpening members each confined within one of said openings, each of said sharpening members comprising an abrasive member, mounting means therefor comprising a member mounted to swing transversely of said slot about an axis extending parallel to the length of said slot, and means on said mounting member engaging the wall of said opening to urge said mounting member transversely of said slot.

10. In a knife holder and sharpener, an elongated body portion having a guide slot therein extending longitudinally thereof, said slot being open at both ends and along one side thereof, said body portion having longitudinally spaced transverse openings therein closed at one end thereof and intersecting said slot, means closing the other side of said slot and the other ends of said openings, and sharpening members each confined within one of said openings, each of said sharpening members comprising an abrasive member, mounting means therefor comprising a pivot pin extending across said opening longitudinally of said slot and a member loosely mounted on said pivot pin to swing crosswise of said slot and rock thereon lengthwise of said slot, and resilient means on said mounting member engaging the wall of said opening to urge said mounting member transversely of said slot.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,041,631 Johnson Oct. 15, 1912 1,173,549 Blair Feb. 29, 1916 1,570,083 Runzi Jan. 19, 1926 2,413,169 Case Dec. 24, 1946 2,767,530 Paldanius Oct. 23, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 66,037 Norway Aug. 26, 1941 

